Electrical switch



P 10, 1940- c. H. REYNOLDS ELECTRICAL SWITCH Filed Feb. 5, 1938INVENTOR. and.

ATTORNEY.

- orrn Patented Sept. 19, 1940 angle;

ELECTRICAL SWITCH Massachusetts Application February 5, 1938, Serial No.188,885

6 Claims.

The invention relates to an electrical switch and particularly to a highpressure contact switch.

The invention has for an object to provide a 5 novel and improvedconstruction of electrical switch of the type in which the movablememher or blade is adapted to embrace the stationary contact member andin which provision is made for applying auxiliary pressure to said 10movable blade when the switch is in its closed position so as to insurea tight and efilcient contact between the switch members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedelectrical switch of the character described in which auxiliary meansare provided for tightly pressing and holding the blade members intohigh pressure contact with the stationary contact member after theswitch members have been closed whereby to prevent 20 undue spreading ofsaid blade members.

With these general objects in view, and such others as may hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the electrical switch hereinafterdescribed and particularly defined in the claims at 25 the end of thisspecification.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of theinvention, Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of an electrical switchembodying the present invention showing the 30 switch in its partlyclosed position; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the switchfully closed; Fig. 3 is a plan View of the switch; Fig. 4 is a crosssection taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a cross sectiontaken on the line 35 5-5 of Fig. 2.

In general the present invention contemplates an electrical switch ofthe type having a movable member or blade which is arranged to embrace astationary contact member when in circuit 40 closing position and inwhich provision is made for applying additional pressure against thesides of the blade members when the switch is closed in order to assurea. most efficient contact and to retain the switch members in theirclosed po- 45 sition.

The invention may be embodied with advan-' tags in a double bladedswitch in which the blades are spaced apart and adapted to engage thestationary contact between the blades when 5 the switch is in its closedposition. In practice it has been found that after continued use of aswitch of this type the blades are apt to become spread apart to such anextent as to result in an imperfect contact. in order to pre- 55 ventundue spreading of the blades and to maintain a high pressure contactbetween the switch members provision is made for applying pressure tothe sides of the blades at the point where they engage the stationarycontact.

Referring now tothe drawing, it represents the supporting base of aswitch upon which is mounted the contact members i2, M designed tocooperate with a movable member it of the switch. As herein shown, themovable member of the switch comprises a pair of blades I8, 20 which arepivotally connected by a bolt 22 to the contact member 32 and the bladesI8, 20 are secured in contacting relation therewith by the usual washers2d and nuts 26. The blades I8, 26 in their closed position are adaptedto embrace the contact member it of the switch.

In accordance with the present invention provision is made for pressingthe blade members l8, Ell securely into tightly fitting engagement withthe contact member M- and for this purpose, as herein shown, anoperating lever 30 is pivotally mounted upon and connected to the bladesby a bolt 32 and nut The operating lever is yoke shaped and is arrangedto embrace the outer surfaces of the blades 8, 20. The lever is providedat its outer end with an eye or opening 36 for receiving a suitable hookfor operating the switch. As illustrated herein, in the preferred formof the invention, the blades i8, 20 are provided with yieldable disks 3830 mounted upon the outer surfaces of the blades adjacent the contactmember Hi. The disks 38 are retained upon the blades by retaining platesl0 secured thereto by screws 42. 1}

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 5, as therein illustrated, the operatinglever 38 is provided with opposed raised portions it upon the innersurfaces of the yoke 30 which are arranged to engage the disks 38 and toyieldingly press the blades i8, 20 firmly into engagement with the 40contact member M when the switch is in its closed position. It will beobserved that a similar result might be obtained without the disks 38 byfabricating the lever. 31! of sufficiently resilient material so thatthe engagement of the portions M directly with the blade membersthemselves will serve to apply the desired pressure.

The pivotal operating lever 38 is provided wit an abutment it which isarranged to engage the 5 top of the blades l6, I8 during the switchopening operation so that the lever 38 is in an angular position withrelation to the blades, see Fig. 1. In order to retain the lever 35! inthis angular relation to the blades during the initial portion of theswitch closing movement, a latch mechanism is provided. As hereinillustrated, see Fig. l, a latch 50 pivotally mounted between the bladesI8, 20 upon a pin 52 is arranged to engage a latch member 54 formed uponthe hub 56 of a depending portion 58 of the lever 39. A spring 50normally urges the latch 50 in a counterclockwise direction, viewingFig. 1, and in latching relation with. the latch member 54.

Provision is made for releasing the latching mechanism when the switchis nearly in its closed position and for this purpose an arm 62extending from the hub of the latch 50 is arranged to engage a lug 64formed as a part of the contact M. Engagement of the arm 62 with the lug64 effects a pivotal movement of the latch 58 to release the lever 30and continued movement of the lever 30 operates to seat the blades i8,29 against the shoulders 65, 6'! of the contact M. Thereafter the lever30 pivots about the bolt 32 and engages the disks 38 as illustrated inFigs. 1, 2 and 5.

From the description thus far it will be observed that in the operationof the switch the initial opening movement will tend to release thepressure against the sides of the blades and to rock the lever 3i) untilthe abutment 46 comes in contact with the top of the blades I8, 20.During this movement the rounded portion 10 of the latch will ride up onthe cam portion 12 of the latch member and pivot into latching positionagain. Continued movement of the lever 30 will pivot the blades upwardlyand open the switch.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinillustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention maybe embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an electrical switch, in combination, a stationary contact member,a double bladed switch member movable into and out of engagement withsaid contact member, yieldable disks loosely mounted upon said blades,frame members fixed to said blades and in which said yieldable disks aremounted, and an operating lever pivoted to said movable blades adaptedto be moved into engagement with said yieldable disks to press theblades into high pressure contact with the stationar contact member whenthe switch has substantially reached its closed position.

2. In an electrical switch, in combination, a stationary contact member,a double bladed switch member movable into and out of engagement withsaid contact member, pressure applying means comprising resilientmembers loosely mounted upon said blades, frame members fixed to saidblades and in which said resilient members are mounted, an operatinglever pivoted to said movable blades and adapted to engage and compresssaid resilient members to apply lateral pressure against said bladeswhen the switch is in its closed position, a latching mechanism adaptedto lock said operating lever to said blades to permit the switch closingoperation to be performed, and means for releasing said latchingmechanism to permit the operating lever to apply pressure against saidresilient members and the blades when the switch has substantiallyreached its closed position.

3. In an electrical switch, in combination, a

stationary contact member, a double bladed switch member movable intoand out of engagement with said contact member, pressure applying meanscomprising resilient members loosely mounted upon said blades, framemember fixed to said blades and in which said resilient members aremounted, an operating lever pivoted to said movable blades and adaptedto engage and compress said resilient members to apply lateral pressureagainst said blades when the switch is in its closed position, alatching mechanism adapted to lock said operating lever to said bladesto permit the switch closing operation to be performed, and means forreleasing said latching mechanism to permit the operating lever to applypressure against said resilient members and the blades when the switchhas substantially reached its closed position, said latching mechanismhaving provision for resetting the latch during the switch openingoperation.

4. In an electrical switch, in combination, a stationary contact member,a double bladed switch member movable into and out of engagement withsaid contact member, and pressure applying means comprising cup shapedmetal resilient members loosely mounted upon said blades, frame membersfixed to said blades and in which said resilient members are retained,and an operating lever pivoted to said movable blades, said resilientmembers being adapted to be automatically compressed by said operatinglever to press the blades into high pressure contact with the stationarycontact member during the downward rotary movement of said operativelever and after said movable blades have substantially reached theirclosed position, and said resilient members being also adapted to bereleased by said operating lever during the upward rotary movement ofthe-latter and before said movable blades have been substantially movedout of their closed position.

5. In an electrical switch, in combination, a stationary contact member,a double bladed movable switch member adapted to embrace said stationarycontact member when the switch is in its closed position, resilientmembers loosely mounted upon the outer surface of said movable blades,frame members fixed to said blades and in which said resilient membersare retained, and an operating lever pivoted to said movable blades andadapted to engage and compress said resilient members to press theblades into high pressure contact with said stationary contact after theblades have substantially reached their closed position.

6. In an electrical switch, in combination, a stationary contact member,a double bladed movable switch member adapted to embrace said stationarycontact member when the switch is in its closed position, resilientmembers loosely mounted upon the outer surface of said movable blades,frame members fixed to said blades and in which said resilient membersare retained, and an operating, lever pivoted to said movable blades andadapted to engage and compress said resilient members to press theblades into high pressure contact with said stationary contact after theblades have substantially reached their closed position, and saidoperating member being also adapted to release the pressure upon saidresilient members before said movable members have substantially movedout of their closed position.

CHARLES H. REYNOLDS.

